R. Stevie Moore Returns to Bloomington (Oct. 4)

I felt pretty blindsided last summer when I was asked to cover the R. Stevie Moore concert at The Bishop in June of 2011. I knew nothing of the artist except for his interesting music videos, and titles among the media as the “lo-fi legend” and “king of home recording”. It was a great show, and I’m looking forward to his return to The Bishop on Oct. 4.

In a story reminiscent to those of artists like Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley, at age 60, one would think that R. Stevie Moore would be packing it in for the easy life. Instead, Moore is just getting started. After decades of self-releasing hundreds of albums, Moore finally took to the stage in 2011, promoting his upcoming album Advanced, raising money to tour internationally, and making a documentary about his music and life. It was a great experience to sit down and talk with him, and I learned a lot about Moore, his views on the current music industry, and his place among it. Most of all, I enjoyed his energetic, strange, and unpredictable live show, and the many fans who came out and sang along to nearly all of his songs. With his snowy white beard and colorful mix of clothing, watching an R. Stevie Moore show is kind of like watching Santa Claus on his days off, taking the stage and rocking out with his buddies until the holidays come around again.

It seems the tour and album were a great start for Moore to get out and share his music, as he is ready to head out again. R. Stevie Moore (and whichever band he decides to bring along) will be back in Bloomington on Thursday, October 4 at The Bishop. Tickets are on sale now and you’ll save a couple of bucks by grabbing yours early! You don’t want to miss this.